Sunday, July 4, 2010

Propolis is use resin collected by worker bees from the buds of plants or injury parts of trunk, mixed with secretions of the maxillary gland of worker bees and beeswax and be processed into a type of solid jelly with fragrance.

1. The Chemical Composition of Propolis

The composition of propolis is related to the plant species it was taken. The main components of propolis are flavonoids, phenols, lactones, coumarin, aldehydes and ketones, since the class of compounds, and small amounts of iron, calcium, silicon, manganese, lead, nickel, aluminum, copper, zinc and other trace elements and vitamin B, vitamin A, and a variety of amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharides and rich arsanilic acid.

Use propolis produce feed additive and add it to diet of poultry and domestic animals, can promote their growth and gain weights, the same time can increase their resistance to disease, then increase economic efficiency effectively.

There are tests have approved that adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of pigs, can result 12.% weight gain for pigs taking the diet, and saving feeds by 18% ~ 28%; adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of spring chicken, and feed them 75 days, can result 12% weight gain compared with standard feeding chicken; adding 5% propolis solution to the diet of layer chicken, can increase the egg production rate by 16% and lower feed consumption by 14%, and the same time reduce mortality by 22%.